Programming

Writing a perfect PowerShell script on the first try is next to impossible (though it's nice to dream). Debugging is a crucial skill for every developer, and learning easier and faster ways to find script problems can really improve the process. Adam Bertram explains how to use breakpoints to troubleshoot your PowerShell scripts.

After introducing a new code-focused experience in Part 1 of this series, in Part 2 Alessandro Del Sole, author of Visual Basic 2015 Unleashed, shows how to create your own code analysis rules and integrate them into the Visual Basic code editor for reporting code issues and suggesting fixes as you type.

In this chapter from JavaScript in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself, 6th Edition, learn how JavaScript can be added to your web page, and then about some of the fundamental syntax of your JavaScript programs such as statements, variables, operators, and comments. You’ll also get your hands dirty with more code examples.

JavaFX simplifies common animations (such as fades and rotations) by providing 'canned' animation transition classes. Jeff Friesen introduces each of these classes and shows how to create your own custom transition classes.

In this first article of a new series, Alessandro Del Sole, author of Visual Basic 2015 Unleashed, introduces improvements in the coding experience with Visual Studio 2015 applied to the Visual Basic programming language.

Python has first-class functions, meaning you can assign them to variables, pass them as arguments to other functions, compare them in expressions, etc. Python also supports closures: functions that refer to variables from the scope in which they were defined. Put together, first-class functions and closures give you a powerful tool for implementing simple interfaces while maintaining state. In these excerpted items from Effective Python: 59 Specific Ways to Write Better Python, Brett Slatkin shows you how and why to use first-class functions and closures in your Python programs.

Hopscotch is a visual programming app for the iPad and iPhone that lets users design their own simple games. It’s being used in many elementary and middle schools as a way to teach students about basic tech principles and programming logic. Michael Miller, author of The Internet of Things, introduces parents and teachers to the world of Hopscotch -- and shows how to create your own simple Hopscotch game.